"This Will Explain": "Blaster" Al Ackerman was, by far, one of the most important correspondents in my life — starting in late 1980 & through until shortly before his death in 2013. "Blaster", as writer Bob Black pointed out, was the Mark Twain of the '20th century'. He was a great humorist, writer, artist, mail artist, philosopher, & trickster. We were very close from 1980 to 1986. I met him in person when I was on tour in 1986 & he was living in San Antonio. We met again when he moved to Baltimore, where I was living, in 1991. He became employed at the bookstore I cofounded, Normal's. He stayed in BalTimOre until, perhaps, late 2012 or early 2013 when he moved back to Texas to be with his daughter shortly before he died. Heavily inspired by the pulp science-fiction & mystery writers that he grew up reading, Blaster essentially refused to be published anywhere but in 'lunatic fringe' publications — no mainstream publishing for him. Blaster often wrote "This Will Explain" on things he sent people in the mail, sometimes what was sent might have explained something or another (such as who "Ed Lefko" was), sometimes, perhaps, it further mystified. Our closest collaboration together was for the "Sinnit-Nut Hollow Earth Symposium" in early 1984. I crammed almost every trace of Blaster's passing through my life into this movie. The result is complex, requiring a rapt attention for full appreciation. People who knew Blaster, & there were probably thousands who had some contact with him over the decades, will easily recognize the happy chaos & subversive humor. - 2019.10.08 note from tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE
